Dive Into Your Imagination

Dr. Kuris has spent most of his career studying parasites: organisms that make their living by relying on other organisms. These can be found in almost every environment, including aquatic systems, so it is important to learn about them.

What defines a parasite?
A parasite lives on or in another organism (the host) and consumes energy and nourishment from only that individual host. In this interaction, the host is affected negatively while the parasite is, obviously, positively affected. This is very different from predation, which is also a negative/positive relationship. Predators, in contrast attack, feed on, and kill more than one victim. Parasites come in many forms. An example of one type is a parasitic castrator, which blocks host reproduction.

What types of parasites affect marine animals?
Many different kinds of parasites affect marine organisms. These parasites include viruses, bacteria, protozoa, worms, parasitic snails, parasitic isopods, amphipods, barnacles and more. Every species of marine animal can be infected by a type of parasite.

Which means fish can have parasites. What type of impact does this have on fisheries?
Parasites can reduce yield to the fishery because losses to parasites means these animals cannot be fished.

But there are some benefits to parasites. Can you explain biological control?
Biological control is the use of natural enemies, often parasitic, to control the abundance of pest species. Most of the time, pest species are organisms that are not native to an area and have been introduced by humans. They then may outcompete native organisms and change the species composition in an area. Therefore, biological control can be important in restoring an area to a more natural state. It is a great method because it is very effective, inexpensive, and safe if carefully evaluated.

What is the focus of your past and present research? What research has been most rewarding?
I have enjoyed most of the things I’ve done. Highlights include my research on Schistosomiasis, potentially making the world a healthier place for children. Schistosomiasis is caused by human parasites, and transmission occurs in freshwater. About 200 million people are infected and the consequences can be very severe. Studying parasitic castration and the interesting things involved has also been rewarding for my intellectual curiosity. Most recently, showing that parasites can consume a tremendous amount of energy in ecosystems (marine estuaries) has piqued my interest. I continue to work on the role of infectious agents in ecosystems. This is important because ecologists have usually not considered the role of parasites in their studies.

What is your favorite memory of your scientific past?
Diving on the Alvin, a manned underwater submersible, to the hydrothermal vents (deep sea environments that persist on chemical production instead of light). More people have climbed Mount Everest than have been that deep in the ocean.

Biography:
Dr. Armand Kuris is a researcher and professor teaching Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology and at the University of California: Santa Barbara. His educational past includes a B.S. in Zoology from Tulane University, a Ph.D. in Zoology from University of California: Berkeley and Postdocs in Parasitology and Ecology at the University of California San Francisco and the University of Michigan. He has focused his career on parasite ecology, marine ecology, and crustacean biology, and has played a role in researching biological control of the human parasitic disease, Schistosomiasis. Dr. Kuris is a pioneer in his field and a role model to many.

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